Fluid-dynamics and drying of salts in a pulsed fluid bed dryer

• Grant number: 07/03304-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2007
• End date: April 30, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Industrial Operations and Equipment for Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcello Nitz da Costa
• Grantee: Marcello Nitz da Costa
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia Mauá (EEM). Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia. São Caetano do Sul , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the pilot plant of the Chemical Engineering Department of the Mauá Engineering School, there is a pulsed fluid bed piece of equipment built with Fapesps support - process 2001/10.731-5. Researchers from the Mauá Engineering School and the School of Chemical Engineering of UNICAMP have been working together in this research topic on pulsed fluidization since 2001. The present research proposal is part of it. In this work, fluid-dynamic and drying experiments will be carried out with salts - potassium chloride and sodium acetate - aiming to evaluate the fluid-dynamic behavior of the bed and the drying kinetics of these materials. The salts will be supplied by Labsynth (Diadema - SP). That company uses a conventional fluidized bed in their process. Drying is a step after crystallization and centrifugation. The tests will allow one to make comparisons between pulsed and conventional fluidization. The influences of the following process variables on the fluid-dynamic and drying kinetics will be analyzed: frequency of bed pulsation, airflow rate and inlet air temperature. Concerning fluid-dynamics, besides the visual analysis of the bed movement and the occurrence of channeling, fluidization and pulsed fluidization curves will be determined. The relation between bed pressure drop and gas superficial velocity will be modeled. Concerning drying itself, the materials will be dried under different combinations of airflow rate and temperature and pulsation frequency. The experimental conditions will be combined according to a factorial design. There will be 8 different combinations. The surface response methodology will be used to analyze the results. At least 2 undergraduate and 1 graduate students will be involved in this project. The participations of other graduate students are being negotiated. (AU)